Jia Zhangke occupies a distinctive position in the history of Chinese cinema, particularly among sixth-generation filmmakers. Describing himself as a “film laborer,” he has consistently focused on marginalized groups and the lower social strata du...
Jia Zhangke occupies a distinctive position in the history of Chinese cinema, particularly among sixth-generation filmmakers. Describing himself as a “film laborer,” he has consistently focused on marginalized groups and the lower social strata during China’s era of social transformation. With an objective and restrained aesthetic, his films engage with those who have been displaced by historical change through a sincere and egalitarian perspective. In doing so, Jia’
s work not only fills a considerable gap in the representation of these communities, but also offers a critical response to the hesitation and avoidance that have long characterized Chinese cinema’s engagement with pressing social issues. As such, his films possess significant social and humanistic value. This paper examines the marginalized groups portrayed in Jia Zhangke’s films and classifies them into three categories: migrant workers seeking a livelihood, aimless unemployed drifters, and women living in socially liminal spaces. These characters are caught in a dual predicament of material hardship and
spiritual crisis, and during periods of historical transition, they are often rendered voiceless, passive, or invisible. Through settings such as county towns, urban peripheries, entertainment venues, and railway stations, Jia presents the existential struggles of marginalized groups.
Via temporal structuring, he reconstructs the history of ordinary people and captures their everyday experiences, thereby creating what may be understood as an epic of the people. His use of long takes, fragmented narration, vernacular regional dialects, and popular songs recreates the daily reality of marginalized lives with a strong sense of realism. At the same time, his detached and contemplative cinematic style encourages viewers to reflect on life, time, and human existence. Jia Zhangke’s films thus function as a visual record of China’s social transition. Like mirrors of their time, they document the everyday lives of marginalized groups while critically exposing the contradictions and tensions generated by social change. More importantly, they convey a sustained compassion for and respect
toward those at the bottom of society who have shouldered the costs of transformation. In this sense, Jia’s films embody both a profound humanitarian concern and the intellectual’s moral responsibility to bear witness.